In the last part we looked at the man named Apollos. Paul was absent from the events that surrounded Apollos but later he became an important part of the history of the New Testament churches.
The account of Apollos in chapter eighteen does not give us any clues of just how long that Apollos spent in Ephesus or Corinth. However, our text verses for this part might be an indication of just how long he spent in Corinth. These verses relate to us that Paul spent at least three years in Ephesus, which we will examine in this part.
One outstanding thing that began while Paul was on this journey is that he started to write letters to some of the churches he had started. We will examine these in outline form as we come to them.
The Beginning of the Journey
Paul had the desire to revisit the churches in Galatia and Phrygia that he had started. The purpose of this was to “strengthen” the disciples in these churches. We are not sure just how long that Paul spent in Antioch where his home church was. The verse only states that he spent some time there.
Paul wanted to encourage and strengthen the churches that had been established during the First and the Second Journeys. Because of this, it took some time to get to Ephesus, which was his first planned lengthy stop.
According to Dr. Albert Garner, one of the reasons for Paul’s detour to these areas was to raise funds for the needy members of the church in Jerusalem and Judah. (His letters to the Galatian Church, the Corinthian Church, and the Church at Rome indicates this purpose.)1
According to Acts 19:22, 29, Paul’s company at the beginning of this trip was Timothy, Gaius, Erastus, Aristarchus, and Titus. We should notice that Luke is writing in the third person which means that he has yet to rejoin the group from his work in Philippi.
Ephesus – Paul and the Twelve
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Paul finally arrived in Ephesus after visiting the churches in Galatia and Phrygia. When Paul arrived in Ephesus, we must note a particular situation.
In spite there being a church there, there were some of John’s disciples that were as Apollos, they only knew the baptism of John the Baptist. We have no indication given to us how Paul located these twelve men. That they were not a part of the Church there stands to reason because they only knew John’s baptism and knew next to nothing concerning the Holy Spirit.
"But we have not even heard about (it) if there even exists any Holy Spirit," in special demonstration, such as came on Pentecost, by which special spiritual gifts came to members
of the church. The subject matter, contextual setting, and following occurrence of the laying on of hands, and
conference of the Holy Spirit, by Paul, upon these twelve brethren, so that they received the gift of tongues, seems to validate the view that it was not the regenerating or indwelling of the Holy Spirit about which Paul made inquiry,
or about which the twelve asserted they had not so much as
heard, but the Holy Spirit gifts, that followed salvation, baptism and church membership.2
We should note that it was not the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that was in question here, but the enabling of the Holy Spirit. When Paul had established the fact of their scriptural baptism, he then laid hands on them for the Holy Spirit to enable them to use the spiritual gifts such as was in evidence after the Day of Pentecost. He did not proceed until he was assured of their scriptural baptism.
I must admit that I am at a loss in understanding the significance of this event. It must have significance, or the Holy Spirit would not inspire Luke to record it. These twelve men began using the gifts that the Holy Spirit gave to them almost immediately. Did they become part of the Ephesian Church? We honestly have no idea. I would like to think that they did but we really don’t know. These men must have been as spiritually mature as they could be with the limited knowledge that they had.
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Beginning with verse eight, Luke records that Paul went into the synagogue, as was his custom, and began to teach. He did this for a space of three months. How often was he in the synagogue? We cannot be absolutely sure but it seems most synagogues were open every day. Therefore, he was probably there anytime anyone was there to listen.
The scriptures seem to infer that the twelve men met with him also in the synagogue. After three months, there were some Jews that became very hardened to the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word that Paul and his companions proclaimed. They began to totally reject the teaching of Paul and his company.
The School of Tyrannus
Having been rejected at the synagogue, Paul was able to continue with his teaching and preaching in the facilities of a man by the name of Tyrannus.
Tyrannus was the owner of a lecture hall or school
in Ephesus. He is mentioned only once in Scripture, in
conjunction with Paul’s ministry in Ephesus during
his third missionary journey.
Paul had been teaching in the Jewish synagogue in Ephesus
for about three months, preaching Christ and “arguing
persuasively about the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8). The
Jews did not respond positively, as was often the case when
Paul spoke in synagogues. Luke records that the Jews
“became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly
maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples
with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of
Tyrannus” (Acts 19:9).
Paul had been rejected by the Jewish population in other
urban centers as well. Each time, he left off speaking to the Jews and focused on the Gentiles instead (Acts 13:44–
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475; 18:5–6). It seems that he followed the same pattern in
Ephesus: having been publicly opposed in the Jewish
synagogue, Paul began to preach to the Greeks in the hall
of Tyrannus.
Nothing is really known of Tyrannus’s background or
spiritual standing, or even the function of his “lecture hall.”
His name is Greek (meaning “prince” or “ruler”), and some
scholars believe that Tyrannus was a teacher, philosopher,
or rhetorician—an expert in persuasive speech—who
rented out his hall to traveling philosophers and teachers.
He may have simply been a businessman who permitted
Paul to use the building. Others hold to the possibility that Tyrannus was a Jewish scholar or rabbi who had his own
private synagogue or operated a school.
The Bible never indicates whether Tyrannus became a
believer in Christ or if his faith had anything to do with
allowing Paul to use his building. In fact, it’s possible that the lecture hall was named in honor of a former owner of
the building or a respected teacher in the past and that
Tyrannus was not alive during Paul’s time. The place could
have been called “Tyrannus Lecture Hall” in the same way
that a university today might christen a building “John
Adams Hall.”
According to a footnote in the ESV, one Greek manuscript
adds the detail in Acts 19:9 that Paul taught in Tyrannus’
lecture hall “from the 5th hour unto the 10th”; that is, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This period was typically when
workers had their midday meal and rested from their work
and the heat of the day. It’s possible that Paul would have
worked at tentmaking during the other parts of the day
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THE CHIEF
(cf. Acts 18:3) and devoted this midday period of rest to
evangelizing at Tyrannus’s lecture hall. Paul continued
teaching there “for two years, so that all the residents of
Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord”
(Acts 19:10, CSB).
Although nothing in Scripture indicates that Tyrannus ever
became a believer, he had a hand in assisting the spread of
the gospel to multitudes of people in Ephesus and the
surrounding region.3
About AD 55, the Apostle Paul returns to the bustling city
of Ephesus. When his efforts to teach in the synagogue are
rebuffed, Paul rents a hall from Tyrannus, where he teaches
about Christ using scripture … analysis … creative thinking
… Socratic teaching … and personal shepherding. And over
the next two years, Paul’s ministry impacts over two million
people! (Acts 19:8-10). The Hall of Tyrannus was not a church or substitute for a church.4
Ruins of the School of Tyrannus, Ephesus5
When Paul left the synagogue, apparently, he took the disciples with him.
Having obtained the school of Tyrannus, he taught daily in the school for 163
two years. Verse ten relates to us that this ministry was extremely effective.
During that two years, the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the Gospel. Dr. Garner speculates that it is possible that Paul may have even visited some of the seven churches, nearby Ephesus, during that time.6
When we look at where some of the seven churches were located, it could have been possible.
Conclusion
Not only was the Gospel presented and accepted, but God also performed some special miracles using Paul. These were very, very special according to verse twelve: So that from his body were brought unto the sick
handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the
evil spirits went out of them.
The last part of verse twelve sets the stage for the next part that we will consider, exorcisms.
1 Albert Garner, Power Bible CD, his comments on Acts 18:23
2 IBID, his comments on Acts 19:2
3 https://www.gotquestions.org/Tyrannus-in-the-Bible.html
4 https://theodyssey.org/tyrannus-hall/
5 https://www.israeljerusalem.com/school-of-tyrannus.htm
6 Albert Garner, Power Bible CD, his comments on Acts 19:10
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